It ‘will be hard’ for Raiders’ Geno Smith to play through ankle injury vs. Chiefs

Las Vegas walked out of Sunday with another problem at the most important position. After the Week 17 loss to the Giants, head coach Pete Carroll acknowledged Geno Smith suffered a high-ankle sprain late in the game, and the early tone around his availability for the regular-season finale was grim as the Raiders try to finish a frustrating year without much stability on offense.

Carroll’s latest comments only strengthened that reading. According to a post from Levi Edwards, Carroll said Smith is day-to-day with an ankle sprain but “will be hard for him to play” in Week 18 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

That puts the Raiders in a familiar spot, staring at a short-week decision at quarterback with the season ending and a divisional opponent looming.

If Smith can’t go, the immediate conversation turns to who actually starts.

Edwards added that a competition could follow between Kenny Pickett and Aidan O’Connell for the Week 18 job, an open-ended setup that matches the uncertainty of the Raiders’ closing stretch.

The timing is rough, too, because Kansas City is the type of opponent that punishes sloppy quarterback play and poor protection. For Las Vegas, a limited Geno, or a late-week pivot to a backup, changes everything about how the offense can function, from protections to the downfield passing menu.

While the quarterback situation is the headline, it’s not the only temperature check inside the building. Maxx Crosby returned after an emotional reaction to being placed on injured reserve, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting he’s back in the facility.

Carroll said he and Crosby are aligned, explaining the decision was rooted in how serious the injury looked after evaluation, even if Crosby hated hearing it.

Week 18 now becomes a balancing act for the Raiders.

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